Sunday, August 19, 2007

Margarita Redux

Adapted from Recipe for One True Margarita from the now unfortunately defunct Ceres & Bacchus Blog

I love the margarita recipe I have already published here. It's delicious; it's smooth; it goes down VERY easily. But I have found a recipe that equals (or maybe even rivals) mine, depending on what kind of drink you're in the mood for. And it's a whole lot easier to make on the spur of the moment.

The week this recipe was posted was very hot in NYC. I was working hard - really slogging along - and as a diversion I checked out the Ceres & Bacchus website. Instead of the office, I was working at Walter's in a room with no A/C, and it was after 5:00 p.m. I got up and made two of these puppies, and I had one, and W had the other. He yelled "Yum." when drinking his, so I'm sure you get the idea.

The original recipe calls for Cointreau, but I have to admit that I'm a triple sec fan. I realize that Cointreau actually IS a triple sec, but it is higher in alcohol content and more syrupy than the triple sec I usually use, which is Bols. I have used Hiram Walker, which is Amy's favorite, and Leroux and lived to tell the tale. Maybe I'm not really a top shelf girl (only kidding; Jimmy Buffet uses Bols triple sec; that's good enough for me). However, for the sake of authenticity I got a small bottle of Cointreau to try. And I'm sticking to my guns; I'm still a Bols Triple Sec fan. But you should try it both ways to see which you prefer.If this drink isn't sweet enough for you, you can put in half a shot or so of Rose's Lime Juice or simple syrup to up the sweetness, but I prefer it without. And the Cook's Illustrated margarita, which a lot of people swear by, specifies tequila and triple sec in a ratio of 50/50. And that's what I use in my other recipe, so you could try that here if this drink isn't sweet enough for you. But once you start really messing around, it isn't the "true" margarita and not this recipe.

Do try this, and when you do, raise a glass to Ken, brother of Mary at Ceres & Bacchus, whose recipe this is. Thanks, Ken.

For One Drink

½ lime
kosher salt
2 shots tequila
1 shot triple sec
ice

Slice one wedge from the lime half and use it to rim your glass.

Place about ¼ cup of kosher salt in a plate.

Tilt the glass at an angle, and turn to coat the outer rim all around. Ken says that it's better this way, because if you just dip the whole top of the glass in, the salt gets in your drink.

Juice the lime half directly into a stainless steel drink shaker. I use this wooden hand reamer.

Add tequila and the orange liqueur of your choice to the shaker along with some ice cubes. Shake well until the shaker is frosted

then pour the contents into a glass. I use a large wine glass. Put a few ice cubes in your glass along with half of the lime rind you squeezed into the drink, and go to town. Repeat as desired.

When I'm making two drinks, I get everything ready for the second drink in a little carafe.

That way when I pour the first drink from the shaker, I can add the ingredients for the second drink to the shaker right away without the ice cubes in the shaker having time to melt and dilute the drink.